Mobile machines, for example earthworking machines at a mine or construction site, are being developed to be capable of autonomous operation. As an example, a frequent use of autonomous mobile machines involves fleets of autonomous mining trucks for hauling material at a mining site.
One of the principle challenges in the development of autonomous mobile machines is obstacle detection and avoidance. Obstacle avoidance, in particular, offers unique problems in its development. Early versions of obstacle avoidance systems generally consisted of stopping the movement of a mobile machine when an obstacle was detected, only resuming motion when the obstacle was cleared. More advanced versions of obstacle avoidance provided methods for an autonomous mobile machine to determine alternate routes around detected obstacles.
However, as autonomous fleets of mobile machines become more widely used and complex, the task of planning alternate routes to avoid multiple, and often moving, obstacles requires the development of unique and inventive methods to be successful.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.